Starting with the Duleep Trophy, the domestic season has become an audition of sorts for the national team. And the Irani Cup match between Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai and Rest of India starting in Lucknow on Tuesday promises a lot, especially with the Indian team management eyeing the third opening match before the tour of Australia.
Since the tour of England, with Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal – the first openers – part of the team, they have gone without the third opening game. But with Gill and Rahul forming the core of the top-order, and Padikkal continuing to bat in the middle in the Duleep Trophy, India are yet to finalize who will be their number three opener.
Between Abhimanyu Easwaran – who was the third opener during the tour of South Africa, Ruturaj Gaikwad and B Sai Sudharsan, the selectors have to take one call. And the regional qualifiers that started in the Duleep Trophy will continue in Lucknow. And given the form he was in during the Duleep Trophy, where he scored two centuries, Easwaran has an opportunity in the Irani Cup to make a strong case for his inclusion again.
I #IraniCup The year 2024 starts tomorrow 🙌
In 2023-24 #RanjiTrophy Champions Mumbai take on Rest of India
Which team do you support 🤔
📍 Lucknow
📺 JioCinema
💻📱 https://t.co/pQRlXkCguc@IDFCFIRSTBank | @MumbaiCricAssoc pic.twitter.com/f1VEFBnwbK– BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 30, 2024
And the Mumbai attack consisting of Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian should provide a challenge to RoI’s top order. Among the three openers, due to his consistent performances in the domestic circuit and India A matches, Easwaran has been part of the Indian squad at various times since the 2021 England tour. He even came close to making the first game on Chattogram. in 2022, but ultimately missed out on Gill.
Despite his ability to score big consistently, doubts persist about the 29-year-old Easwaran. At that time Gill, Rahul and Prithvi Shaw India had other bank openers. But in the current scheme of things, it is Easwaran who seems to be at the top.
Gaikwad, who also briefly tried his luck as a middle-order batsman for Maharashtra, is another experienced player in the mix. In simple terms, Gaikwad has shown in India A and in the IPL that he is well equipped to deal with fast bowling and has a strong back foot-foot game. But the 27-year-old has often looked at ease outside the channel and even in the Duleep Trophy he was dismissed by seamer Aaqib Khan when he bowled the goods he would have given up.
And behind these two is Sai Sudharsan. The left-hander is being groomed for the future and following a century for Surrey in the County region, he hit another in the Duleep Trophy as well. With 221 runs he was the highest run scorer for India A against England Lions earlier this year. The only way Sai Sudharsan can win two more is if he scores more goals in the Irani Cup.
But most importantly, the three-way tournament is expected to continue in the India A set-up during their tour of Australia next month. The Indian Express understands that with not much separation in the trio, whoever adjusts quickly to Australia’s conditions is expected to take the third opening spot.
Give me your dreams
For Mumbai, which was supposed to play the match at Wankhede before the venue was shifted to Lucknow due to the prevailing weather in the Maximum City, the Iran Cup will be another chance to end the drought. Since they won the cup in 1997/98, they have finished second on 8 occasions.
While all eyes are on the opening slot, the Irani Cup is also an opportunity for Shreyas Iyer and Shaw to show that they are part of the mix. Unlike Iyer, who was part of the Duleep Trophy, Shaw did not even get a place in any of the four squads. And after mixed encounters on the Northants County circuit, Shaw now has the chance to restart his promising career.
For Shreyas, the way forward is simple. Given his difficulty with the short ball, a place in the Test team, especially for the tour of Australia, looks remote. Even with Sarfaraz Khan – who has been released from the Indian squad for the Irani Cup – the game is important to show that he is among the runs. He hasn’t had a good start to the season and with Padikkal, Ricky Bhui breathing heavily as the middle options, Sarfaraz knows that only runs will keep his place safe.
And on Tuesday, when all eyes are on Kanpur, the selectors’ attention will be on Lucknow.